Introducing the Prince and Princess
by Nal'om
Summary: Prince Rasler is staying in Dalmasca for a week to meet his future fiancée, for the first time.  How will Ashe react? Rated to be safe, AshexRasler.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XII. If I did, Rasler would be alive.**

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"Good morning, my lady!" 

Princess Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca opened her eyes slowly. Her maid, Anais was beaming down at her with a tray of food. Ashe closed her eyes and pulled the covers back over her face.

"Come on, get up! There are important nobles coming to Rabanastre, and I doubt they would want to miss seeing the princess of Dalmasca" Anais was persistent, eventually forcing Ashe to rise.

"Who is it today?" Ashe asked, slowly nibbling on her breakfast. She had the sneaking suspicion she had forgotten something very important about that day. Unfortunately, she was too tired to think very hard on it.

"Royalty from the Kingdom of Nabradia," Anais replied with a quickly concealed smile. She watched as the princess slowly absorbed this information. Ashe's eyes grew wide. She threw the sheets off herself, and started jogging to her closet, her silver nightgown fluttering around her ankles. Anais watched as her charge pulled out outfit after outfit, finally coming out with a light violet top, it had no sleeves, but Ashe had brought out diamond-encrusted armbands to match, its top encrusted with diamonds. There was also a matching skirt, knee-length.

"It would seem you were trying to impress someone, my lady" Anais stated, a smile playing at her lips. Ashe simply glared at her, and stepped onto a mahogany stool, waiting for Anais to dress her.

"What shall I do with your hair?" Anais asked as she picked up Ashe's outfit.

"For the millionth time, just leave it down." Ashe replied, clearly having heard this before.

"But, it would look so pretty if I could just curl it and..."

"NO, it stays DOWN" Ashe replied, cutting off Anais in mid-sentence. Anais sighed, they had often had this argument. Unfortunately, Ashe could be rather unreasonable early in the mornings. Anais finished dressing the princess, and began to brush her hair.

Ashe turned to stare out her bedroom window at the city below. She sighed.

"Rabanastre is always so beautiful at sunrise, you would never know it was the capitol of a nation at war."

"But the war hasn't come to Dalmasca yet" Anais replied, slightly puzzled.

"It's only a matter of time, Dalmasca is one of the last great empires not subject to the Archadian invasion." Ashe stared somewhat sadly at the kingdom that would one day be hers. Anais finished brushing her hair in silence. She fussed with the princess's skirt, brushing off every little piece of lint, and carefully examined the jewels for any imperfections. Finally, when she was satisfied, she stepped aside and watched as the princess left for the reception room.

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Meanwhile, Princess Ashe walked slowly through the long corridors of the palace. The floors and walls were all richly carved marble. The light click clack of her heels on the floor were the only noise to be heard in the corridor. Everyone was probably already down in the reception room, waiting for her. As she passed one of the windows, she glanced down at the gates of the palace. Some of the children of the village were playing on the sidewalk outside of the house. How she had wished to go join them when she was younger! Their mothers sat close by, talking amongst themselves. Ashe sighed. Sometimes, she wanted to be just another citizen you wouldn't look twice at, but unfortunately, that was difficult when you were the princess of the kingdom. She always traveled with armed guards, and was recognized everywhere as the Princess, or in some cases, their future queen.

Finally, Ashe arrived at the reception room. She took a few seconds to smooth her skirt and replace a few stray hairs before entering. There was her father, and the King of Nabradia. Next to the King sat a young man about her age. They were all conversing about some political matter. Ashe realized she was staring and took her seat next to her father. As she got closer to the young man, she realized he had blonde hair, and was obviously wealthy. He turned to look up and smiled at her. There was no doubt in her mind now.

This was Rasler Heios Nabradia, prince and heir to the throne.

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First chapter of a fan fiction ever written! If you want to see another, a review or two may help me to type faster.


	2. Cupcakes

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy. If I did, Final Fantasy XII would've been more sappy.

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Ashe sat down next to her father. She had to force herself not to look at Rasler. She stared at the floor, the ceiling, the table...Her father, sensing her discomfort, decided to do something to let Ashe and Rasler get to know each other. 

"My daughter, why don't you show Rasler around the palace?" King Raminas suggested.

"Yes, that would be a lovely idea, father. Rasler?" Ashe replied, barely managing to keep her voice from shaking. Rasler nodded and stood.

"Excuse us," Rasler said as he walked for the door. Ashe was waiting. They closed the doors as they went out. Both Ashe and Rasler could feel the tension in the air. Finally, footsteps were heard down the stairs. Ashe inhaled sharply. Grabbing Rasler's hand, she pulled him into a large ballroom and shut the door. Motioning for him to keep quiet, she flattened herself against the door, placing one ear to it. The hallway fell silent once again.

"I apologize, Lord Rasler"Ashe said somewhat shyly.

"What was that all about?" Rasler asked, bewildered.

"Do you want all of Dalmasca to gossip?"Ashe said, in a tone that perfectly depicted a teacher to her student. "Us...walking down a corridor...alone! Most of the city doesn't know we're engaged yet."

"Of course, princess" Rasler replied.

"Please, call me Ashe. Everyone does."

"Sorry, of course Ashe."Rasler stated. Ashe smiled.

"Oh, I almost forgot..."Rasler started. He reached into his coat to retrieve a blooming red rose. "For you, my lady" Rasler smiled. Ashe blushed and took it.

"Thank you, that's...very thoughtful Rasler"Ashe grinned shyly. Maybe this engagement would work out better then she'd hoped. "Shall we start here, then?"Ashe asked, gesturing to the room.

"That would be fine." Rasler replied.

"Well, this is one of our many smaller meeting rooms, used when my father needs to consult with his advisors. On the wall, there, is one of Dalmasca's greatest treasures, our family tree. It dates back to the beginning of the empire." Rasler moved over to inspect the embroidered tapestry. He noticed that his name had been stenciled in next to Ashe's. He couldn't help but grin.

"Shall we move on?" Ashe asked. Rasler nodded, and they walked down the hall. They entered a large room through a pair of carved doors. The cathedral ceilings were inlaid with gold. There was a large table in the center of the room, and several smaller tables scattered around it.

"This room isn't used much anymore. It used to be where the King would meet with his vassals, but since a new, larger room has been made to accommodate the growing number. Rasler nodded, taking it all in. It reminded him somewhat of the Nabradian castle, but it was different. He sighed. This was to be his new home, he couldn't constantly compare it to Nabradia. Looking up, he noticed Ashe leaning on the door panel, arms crossed. She was smiling. Rasler hurried to catch up.

Ashe took him to the kitchens next. "Oh, our cook is just wonderful! You'll love her!"

Rasler grinned. He was starting to feel as if he would believe anything Ashe told him, no matter what it was. He entered through a large pair of carved doors. Through them was one of the largest kitchens he had ever seen. A short woman, probably in her thirties, oversaw about 20 chefs. The smell of meat and freshly baked pastry permeated the air. When the head chef saw Ashe, she threw down the towel she was using to clean a stain off the counter, and embraced the princess.

"My lady, it's been so long since I've seen you! My, who's this young man?" the cook asked.

"Bridgette, this is Rasler, the prince of Nabradia."Ashe gestured to the prince, and he waved.

"My goodness, you two are thin! Please, take some of these cupcakes! And...brownies and cookies...and...um"

"Thank you, Bridgettte, but just the cupcakes will do" Ashe couldn't help but smile. Bridgette packed two cupcakes neatly in a basket and passed them to Ashe. Ashe thanked her, and headed out the door. Rasler followed.

"She was nice" Rasler said as they walked down a long corridor.

"Yes, she's wonderful."Ashe replied. She looked out the window, and gasped. "Oh, it's almost sunset! You'll miss the best part of the palace if you don't hurry up!

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So, what do you think? Remember, reviews speed up the typing process! 


	3. Winding Corridors

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XII. If I did, Ashe would've gotten her happy ending.**

Ashe fairly flew down the corridors of the palace. Skirts fluttering, hair blowing around, she held tightly onto Rasler's hand and pulled him along with her. They ran down a long corridor decorated with the royal house's coat of arms on large banners. Finally, Ashe stopped and turned to Rasler. "What do you think?"

They had arrived on a balcony. It overlooked the capital city of Rabanstre, dimly illuminated by lamps put out in temples, homes, and businesses. In the distance, the sun set. The sky exploded in shades of pink and purple.

"It's beautiful" replied Rasler.

Both the prince and princess moved tword the edge of the balcony.

"This may be the last day we can do what we please, we have several wedding planners coming tomorrow. Plus, the treaty still has to be signed." Ashe contined to look out over the city.

"You'd never imagine there was a bloody war going on somewhere over that horizon" Raser was also admiring the city.

"What do you mean? The war hasn't come to Dalmasca yet." Ashe asked, confused.

"You're lucky. Nabradia has been under siege by the Archadians for months now. We've been able to hold them off enough to keep them from our capitol, but we'll need help to continue to defend our borders. I've lost many friends in this cursed war, fueled by greed." Rasler still stared out over the horizon, as if he could see what was happening. Ashe moved to place one hand over his.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Ashe said, suddenly solemn.

"This alliance will help seal our fates. We're stronger throwing our lot in with Dalmasca than having both countries fight alone. You know," Rasler stopped and turned to face Ashe "the citizens of both of our countries see us as a living treaty between Dalmasca and Nabradia." Ashe's eyes widened briefly at this sudden change in the conversation.

"Well, we'll have to change their minds then, won't we?" Ashe asked. She smiled, and Rasler smiled back.

"How do you plan to do that, princess?" Rasler asked.

"Did you bring common clothes?" Ashe asked.

"I have a cloak and...wait, why?" Rasler asked, puzzled.

"Meet me by the throne room in fifteen minutes. Bring the cloak"Ashe asked, and disappeared down one of the long, winding corridors.

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Luckily, they had passed the visitors rooms on the way in. Rasler found his easily, grabbed the cloak, and left.

Running down the seemingly endless labyrinth of hallways, Rasler realized he was completely lost. Glancing around, he saw a hooded figure standing at one of the doors.

"Excuse me!"Rasler ran up to the woman. Panting from running, he quickly asked "Do you know where the throne room is?" The figure turned around. Rasler's eyes widened as he realized who this was.

Ashe.


	4. The Red Stallion

**Disclaimer: What? Rasler is not dead! If Square Enix disagrees, that's their problem. I don't own Final Fantasy XII.**

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Rasler stared open-mouthed at his future wife. Once her hood was up, he had no idea she was the princess. 

"They say the best way to know the people is to be the people." Ashe gave Rasler a knowing grin, and began walking briskly for a door at the end of the hallway.

"Princess, what are you doing? That's the servant's stair-" Rasler started.

"I told you, it's Ashe. And if we exit through the front gates, we'll be detained and questioned. They'll never let us leave."

Rasler had to agree with her logic. Following her down the winding stairs, they exited through a back gate to the palace.

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"One would assume you'd done this before, Ashe." Ashe's only reply was to turn around and shoot him a mysterious glance. Then, she continued to hurry ahead through the busy marketplace. Rasler followed. Before long, he had bumped into too many people to count and crossed in front of several horse-drawn carts. He thanked the gods no one knew he was the Prince-this would have made a very bad first impression. 

Finally she darted into a building. He followed her inside. The lighting was very dim. Through what he could see, it appeared to be some sort of restaurant. Ashe was leaning against the counter, her eyes laughing at him.

"They serve the best in Rabanstre." she informed him before leading him to a small table in the corner.

"I don't suppose you ate before we left?" Ashe asked him.

"No, I told my father I would take dinner in my quarters when I was finished touring the palace." Rasler responded mildly.

"Good." At that moment, a waitress came up to their table.

"Welcome to the Red Stallion. May I get you two some drinks?"

"Yes, I'll just have a glass of lemonade." Rasler began.

"Two, please." Ashe added. The waitress left the table, leaving them alone once again.

"So...what are you planning?" Rasler asked Ashe, slowly smirking.

"You'll see."

"Why can't you just tell me now?"

"Because it's more fun not to." Ashe answered simply, as if she were ordering tea. Rasler sighed-she was going to be a handful. But at least she was a loveable handful. What was he thinking-this was an arranged marriage. However, he never knew it would work out so well. Wait, he'd only known her for a few hours-but that was enough... The argument continued back and forth in his head until he noticed Ashe staring out the window.

"What is it, Ashe?" he asked, concerned.

"Oh, I'm sorry...that was terribly rude of me. The city is just so beautiful at dusk..." Ashe's gaze snapped back to Rasler. At that moment, the waitress returned with their drinks. Before Rasler could point out that he'd been too distracted to even look at his menu, Ashe piped up "Oh! Could you please pack our food up for us? We're in a hurry." The waitress gave her a nod. "Thank you. I'll just have the special." The waitress. Rasler was completely at a loss.

"Make that two, please." he finally managed. The waitress left them alone again.

"What was that about?" Rasler asked. Ashe just smiled, and he dropped the subject. The waitress brought over their food, and Ashe scooped it up. She left the money on the table, and headed for the door. Rasler hurried after her.

"Hurry up, Rasler." Ashe called over her shoulder, exasperated. Rasler hurried. Finally, they crossed the boundaries of the city. Ashe ran up a tall hill, and Rasler followed. What he saw when he reached its peak was truly breathtaking...

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**Eeeyah! I'm sorry! I know it's really short, but I'm suffering from an outrageous amount of writer's block on this story! sobs Please, please review! I need them to finish!**


	5. Living for the Small Moments

**_Nal'om has returned at long last! Many apologies to all my loyal readers-finals, state testing, and swim meets have put quite a strain on me these past few months. Please, read and review!! Reviews are what pulls me back to certain stories, and reignites my interest in sitting here typing out my ideas. If you want to see more, REVIEW._**

**_Thank you,_**

**_Nal'om _**

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The sun seemed to steam with color as it set over the horizon. Reds, oranges, and violets as rich as the King's dresswear cloaked the sky. The lake in front of them sparkled and shimmered. A warship sailed around lazily in the distance.

"…Princess, it's be-"

"What did I tell you about the formalities?"

"My apologies, Pri…Ashe."

"Thank you."

"It is beautiful, though. This entire kingdom is brimming with life. It reminds me so of Nabradia."

"Nabraida must be very beautiful. You haven't said much about your home kingdom."

"…it's much prettier here. At least, now. Even at the moment, Archadian soldiers might be marching to the palace…"  
"That's quite a burden to carry." Ashe moved her hand to cover Rasler's. His hand tensed at first, then relaxed as he entwined his fingers with hers.

"It's made easier by people like you." Rasler cringed as he said this. He shouldn't be telling his fiancé this! He'd only known her for a maximum of twenty-four hours. That's it. What if that one, unthinking statement were to disintegrate the alliance between Nabraida and Dalmasca?

To Rasler's surprise, Ashe just smiled at him and rested her head on his shoulder. She really was incredible-even more than what his father had claimed she was in the weeks he spent trying to convince Rasler that marrying Ashe was best for the entire kingdom.

"I wish we could stay like this forever…" Ashe spoke wistfully into the silence.

"Me too, but that's unrealistic. You are a princess, and I am a prince. Soon, both our kingdoms will join as one. Together, we will rule the greatest empire ever to exist. And, of course-" Rasler was cut off by a soft laughing sound emitting from the head currently resting on his shoulder. Ashe's hand quickly moved to politely cover her mouth with her hand, but he could tell she was still giggling by her shoulder movement.

"What, may I ask, is so funny?" Rasler asked, slightly offended.

"I'm sorry…It's not you…it's just that…for a second there, I forgot that the only reason I was talked into this was to save my beloved kingdom. I never dreamed we'd actually have a heart-to-heart conversation. This just feels…right. I had always dreamed it would be this way, but never quite let myself believe it. I never thought that a foreign prince could be so charming."

Rasler let out a sigh of relief. He wasn't crazy! She felt the connection too! This was wonderful, for both of them. He had dreaded the thought of an arranged marriage where neither of them felt anything for each other- a marriage that existed only to remind both kingdoms of the alliance made between Nabradia and Dalmasca, and also to discourage any rebellions against the alliance, as both the prince and princess were very important to their respective homelands.

"It's getting late. We should both return to the palace…us staying out alone and unchaperoned late at night would put quite a nasty mark on our reputations." Rasler remarked remorsefully, silently praying that time would stop.

"You're right, of course." Ashe replied, wondering if there would be more moments like this. Realizing what she was thinking, she mentally slapped herself for being so selfish. This marriage was for the good of the kingdom, so shouldn't their concerns and needs-not her comfort-be the center of her attentions?


End file.
